http://www.tomasmichaud.com l Hi there.
Welcome back.
On these instruction videos, sometimes I'll show you strums with my thumb and fingers
and sometimes I'll show you with a pick.
Neither of it's right or wrong.
Initially it's a little easier to use your thumb because you don't have to worry about
holding on to a pick.
For example, strumming straight down, I'm just brushing with the flesh of my thumb [guitar].
Down and up.
Up, I'm coming up with the top of my thumb.
I have a thumb nail that you don't need that to do this strum [guitar].
Here's a simple three quarter strum; down, down, up, down, up, down, up.
The fingers and thumb have their use aside from being easier.
I can do some fancy strums with a nylon string guitar like this [guitar] by using my thumb
and fingers.
That's more advanced but I wanted to show you that the thumb and fingers can be used
for some very intricate strums.
Now a pick.
A pick is often used on a steel string guitar [guitar].
The pick is brighter and louder and once you get the hang of holding onto a pick, it's
really not hard [guitar].
Listen to my thumb on the steel string.
It's a little softer [guitar].
Pick [guitar].
Here's that same three quarter base strum, three quarter strum; down, down, up, down,
up, down, up, down, down, up, down, up, down, up.
Let's try that, the three quarter strum.
That strum is a very simple 1 stroke down and then 2 down ups.
It's 3 beats; down, down, up, down, up.
Make a D chord.
We'll use this to practice the D and A7.
Let's start, 1, ready, play it.
Down, down, up, down, up.
Again, down, down, up, down, up, down, down, up, down, up.
Do it with me again.
The D chord.
Ready, play.
Down, down, up, down, up, down, down, up, down, up, down, down, up, down, up, down,
down, up, down, up.
Let's try it with the A7.
Move your 2 fingers over to the A7.
Ready, start.
Down, down, up, down, up, down [guitar] and back to the D. Ready, play it [guitar].
A7, ready, play it [guitar].
Okay, back to D. Now let's just do 1 measure of each so that's
down, down, up, down, up and change.
This will be a little bit of practice getting from the D to the A7 as well as integrating
the strum.
I'm going to go even slower.
Watch this.
It's like 1, 2, 3.
I know it's really slow.
Let's start there.
Ready, play.
Down, down, up, down, up.
Change.
Down, down, up, down, up and change.
Down, down, up, down, up.
Change [guitar].
Again.
Down, down, up, down, up [guitar].
A7.
How was that?
It's hard sometimes playing.
Sometimes harder playing slow than fast.
Go through that a few times.
You might want to stop the video, go back a little bit, and do it again.
Then come on back and let's do it a little bit faster.
Ready?
Here we go a little faster.
One, ready, play D [guitar].
A7 [guitar].
D [guitar].
Last time [guitar].
Let's end on D right here.
Come on back after you're comfortable with that and we'll do it a little bit faster.
Okay, here we go a little faster yet.
Ready, play.
Down, down, up, down, up, down [guitar].
Couple more [guitar].
Once more [guitar].
One A7 [guitar].
End on D [guitar].
Just a couple more things.
Usually I use a pick when I'm playing melodies [guitar].
Because I can faster.
A lot of classical guitar players use their fingers for playing melodies.
Also with your fingers, you can do finger picking [guitar].
There's more advanced techniques with both your fingers and the pick that we'll get to
later on.
Hope you enjoyed this video.
Tomas Michaud is a world class guitarist, recording artist, and music educator.
He is the owner and Music Director of the SF Bay Area's premier music education facility,
Starland Music Center in Alameda, CA.
As a Music Educator he has taught or consulted with thousands of students and instructors
over the past thirty years.
He is credited with developing the Starland Guitar System -- a unique, systematic approach
to learning to play guitar with ease and confidence.
In addition he is the author of six CDs of Contemporary Instrumental World Music including
his latest top ten charting "Beauty and Fire".